World: How COVID-19 Impacts the Future of Human Migration

Source: Sam George, Lausanne Movement, August 16, 2021

Over the last few months, several colleagues in mission organizations and seminaries around the world have asked me, “How has the pandemic impacted the future of human migration and mission?” Here are three initial reflections, from the macro-level down to the micro.

First, from a macro-level and long-term perspective, the pandemic has caused a demographic shrink. Untimely deaths, return migration, deurbanization, and economic restructuring will produce massive population shifts and its full impact will be seen in 30-40 years from now. Some products, services, and industries will become obsolete, while several new markets will emerge. The new modes of work, workplaces, and workers along with the resulting socioeconomic crises will displace multitudes away from their homes and across many borders.

Secondly, from a meso-level and mid-term perspective, the pandemic-related lockdown has forced us to stay put, but we are now more connected to more people than before. Unable to travel, we devised new ways to transact the old business and invent new ones. Though there are many positives to this new way of work, the speeding up of digital transformation is also resulting in increased confusion, conflicts, and psychological problems at home, work, and community. The boundaries of life, work, leisure, family, and church are now overlapping and remain out of sync.

The increased flow of information, ideas, money, products, and services across borders will result in increased migration in the future. We will travel to more places more frequently at a cheaper rate than ever before. More people will end up in new places within their country, continent, and across the globe. We are entering an age of hyperconnectivity and hypermobility, all of which will produce increased cross-cultural interactions and greater hybridization.

Thirdly, from a micro-level and short-term perspective, we will be forced to adapt blended forms of work, life, and even church. The church is not something we do in a particular place or time anymore. It has been liberated from its captivity to place, time, structure, and leadership. It is beyond the current predicaments of going digital or reworking physical meetings—it is a blend of scattering (diaspora) and gathering (ekklesia), as all of God’s people are unleashed into the mission of God, not just a few full-time religious professionals with specialized training.

Read the full story.

To learn more, connect with Lausanne’s Global Diaspora Network.

China: Saved by a Dream

Source: Asia Harvest, August 30, 2021

Over the years, many people have told us they would love to come to China and experience the great revival that has swept over 100 million people into the kingdom of God in the past 30 years. Some have the idea that Chinese Christians must be angelic. In reality, the revival fires have blazed brightest among the simple, downtrodden people of China, whom God has decided to show mercy to.

We would like to share a precious video with you of a woman named Liang Shaoying. Her hard life and family tragedies caused Liang to call out to the one True God. She was met by the Lord Jesus Christ, who transformed her and her whole family.

As you watch this dear sister’s testimony, please pray for the many millions of Christians across China like her, who are currently facing the most brutal persecution since the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s.

Watch the full video on the Asia Harvest site or below (about eight minutes, Chinese with English subtitles, 7G.tv). It’s quite touching.

https://youtu.be/YxxPgSoq0Gg

Documentary Feature Film: Show Me The Father

Source: The Kendrick Brothers

Could this new faith-based film be a good one to watch with friends—including those from other cultures—to spark deeper conversations about the Father God and our varying experiences with fatherhood? Or maybe you’d want to organize a group from your church to watch it together.

Show Me the Father is the first documentary from the Kendrick Brothers, creators of Facing the Giants, War Room, Fireproof, and other films. It weaves together the twists and turns in the lives of five families, exploring the roles of fathers in today’s society, offering hope, and pointing viewers to the goodness of our Father God. The film is meant to invite the audience to rethink how they view their earthly fathers and personally relate to God.

Show Me The Father will be released in US theaters on September 10. Not sure what other distribution plans may be in the works.

Documentary: Ends of the Earth (with Mission Aviation)

Source: Mission Aviation Fellowship

Another new documentary that might interest you is Ends of the Earth. This feature-length film tells the stories of several pilots, past and present, who have served with Mission Aviation Fellowship. For more than 75 years, MAF has been a crucial partner for local believers and missionaries taking the gospel to the most remote places on earth.

Ends of the Earth will be in US theaters two nights only (Monday, October 18 and Thursday, October 21), though I presume there will be other ways to watch it later. See the trailer below.

https://youtu.be/IUq0ntZPghs

Book: A Devotional Biography from Papua New Guinea

Source: Aneko Press

Where No Roads Go, by Carin LeRoy. Aneko Press, 2021, 303 pages.

Maybe it’s a bit of a stereotype: the bushwhacking missionary who moves to a remote, primitive culture that just left cannibalism behind; lives uncomfortably close to snakes, bugs, and other unsavory wildlife; builds their own house and airstrip; and introduces people who live in fear of the spirits to the Creator God. But what if you did it as a family?

Furthermore, how would you walk with God through the challenges that way of life brings?

Carin LeRoy and her husband, missionaries with Pioneers, moved to Papua New Guinea in the 1980s as an adventurous young married couple. They stayed to pursue church-planting ministry for nearly 13 years and raised three children. Carin tells their story through a series of chronological vignettes illustrating spiritual principles that might apply to us all. Each of the 80 short chapters includes a prayer and scripture references with very thoughtful questions for personal reflection.

Where No Roads Go is not specifically written to women or parents, but it does tell stories from the author’s adventures in housekeeping, raising small children, and other aspects of missionary life most common to mothers. It’s a good read!

Purchase Where No Roads Go from the publisher (or elsewhere) for US$11.99, or get the Kindle edition for US$5.99.

Also along a devotional line, see Loving Jesus More, a series of 40 daily devotions from mission leaders reflecting on the events of 2020-21. Jump into the series by email or start at the beginning by downloading an e-book version or using the Bible app reading plan (Missio Nexus).

Small-Group Study: On Parenting with Global Vision

Source: Weave Family Ministries

Parenting with Global Vision, by Weave Family Ministries. Center for Mission Mobilization, 2021. 110 pages.

We live in a world of competing values and clamoring voices. Family schedules are filled with what feels like important things and we wonder how to intentionally disciple our children. The challenges are real, but in the midst of all this, Jesus is inviting us and our children to bless the nations and cultivate a heart for God and his global purposes.

Parenting with a Global Vision is a well-crafted study that comes alongside parents (especially parents of kids 4-12) and invites them to discover and reflect on God’s global purposes and consider their next steps in applying what they find to their own lives and families. Each lesson in the six-week curriculum includes a personal study and a group discussion guide, though you could certainly do the whole thing on your own.

One of the 80 parents from 13 countries who tested the study earlier this year said, “In just two lessons, this study has changed my parenting. I now know my children were not only saved from something but for something!”

This resource won’t come out until September 23. Normally we avoid promoting books before they are published, but if you order now, you can get a 20% discount and receive a few freebies they are throwing in. Otherwise, expect to pay $12.95 for a paper copy.

Learn more. You might also check out the Big Story Series, a set of related resources for families which you can also purchase or download on their own at no cost.

Read a new blog post from Weave about how parents or teachers can help kids understand and pray for the people of Afghanistan.

Coming Soon: Things to Do or View in September

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

September 2, Teaching and Learning Across Cultures (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

September 2, Prayer: Fuel for Making Reproducing Disciples (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

September 5-17, Second Language Acquisition (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

September 6-10, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). These are now held almost once a month by TRAIN International.

September 6 to October 2, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.

September 6 to December 5, Encountering the World of Islam (online). New online classes start several times a year; also available in other formats/languages.

September 9, Mobilizing People of Color: The Asian-American Church (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

September 9-10, People Raising Conference (online). Be equipped for raising personal support.

September 9 to October 14, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Courses offered regularly by Mission Media U.

September 14, Making Raising Support Part of the Mission (online). Webinar from Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

September 15-16, Support Raising Bootcamp (Charlotte, NC, USA). Similar events are held throughout the year in various locations by Support Raising Solutions.

September 15-21, Traction (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Renewal conference for men serving cross-culturally; offered annually.

September 16, Making the Most of Your Next Event (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

September 16, Holy Spirit: Don’t Try to Make Disciples Without Him (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.

September 17-18, Evangelical Missiological Society National Conference (online). Annual event; online again this year.

September 20-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (Dallas, TX, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission. Offered in conjunction with major missions conferences as well as online.

September 22-24, Mission Leaders Conference (Dallas, TX, USA). An annual event from Missio Nexus, this time with a focus on innovation in missions. You can also participate online.

September 23 to October 1, Breathe Conference (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Rest and renewal retreat for cross-cultural workers.

September 27 to October 15, Member Care Training (Liverpool, PA, USA). Provided by Heartstream Resources, which also offers intensive care and debriefing for cross-cultural workers.

September 28 to October 1, PTM Conference (Ridgecrest, NC, USA). Pastoral training in member care (previously Pastors to Missionaries). An annual event from Barnabas International.

September 30, Be Intentional: More Disciple-makers Needed (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.

View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.

World News Briefs: Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Laos

Twenty years ago, a local missionary was killed for attempting to share the gospel in this Indian village. Read about what’s happening there now (Haggai International).
  1. AFGHANISTAN: Taliban Takes Full Control
  2. INDIA: Where Missionaries Were Killed, One Tribal Village Is Now Receptive to the Gospel
  3. IRAQ: Five-Year Human Rights Plan Launched
  4. LAOS: 100-Year-Old Pastor Encourages Others to Stand Firm in Faith
  5. USA: Online Evangelistic Campaign Addresses Women’s Common Fears

Read or share the email edition or scroll down for individual stories.

AFGHANISTAN: Taliban Takes Full Control

Source: Open Doors, August 16, 2021

The Taliban now hold Afghanistan. Earlier, Al Jazeera released videos of Taliban fighters entering the capital city Kabul with ease, taking the reins in the Presidential Palace, and declaring an end to the 20-year war. In addition, President Ashraf Ghani reportedly fled to Tajikistan over the weekend to prevent further bloodshed (although other sources mentioned Uzbekistan).

With the collapse of the government, the expansion of extremism, food shortages, and the raging pandemic, Afghanistan needs urgent prayer from the global Church now more than ever.

  • Please pray for the small group of believers in the country. They are walking on eggshells and are uncertain who to trust.
  • Pray for the displaced. A new wave of refugees is expected to come from Afghanistan to many parts of the Middle East and the rest of the world.
  • Pray for the women. Many women fear that Taliban rule means they will be stripped of opportunities for education.
  • Pray for the sick. Though under-reported in international media, COVID-19 cases are spiking in the country, and hospitals are limited in what they can offer.
  • Pray that the country will not be a haven for extremists. The Taliban government of 20 years ago [were] known enablers of extremist Islamic organizations.

Read the full story.

Also read How to Pray for Afghanistan—and the Taliban (The Gospel Coalition), Afghan Pastors Ask for Prayer (9Marks), and A Liturgy for Responding to International Tragedy (The Upstream Collective).